2001 19th
Labor Day
Pump'n Speedsters
Kent, WA
Report 3

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Pump’n Speedsters Gas Up Kent Valley

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 Tom Elliot of Portland puts on his Race Face while Lynn Elliot bundles up against the coming elements.

All the speedsters headed south past Algona and into Pierce County before heading east past beautiful Lake Tapps and turning north into Auburn. Jockeying for position improvement occurred whenever there was a four-lane road. Early testosterone checks were addressed once the bunch got on to Highway 18 in Auburn. With speeds in excess of sixty mph drivers pulled into the passing lane to see if their equipment was up to the challenge. Car #40 driven by Wayne Murray passed car #48 driven by Tom Elliot just before the exit to the Auburn-Black Diamond Rd. Later after the event Elliot couldn’t believe he was passed by the “Flathead” equipped #40 and wanted to know the cars secret of speed. Murray quipped, “It’s the ‘Wax Factor’…I use Speed Shine,” and for once Tom was speechless. The Elliot’s would get the last laugh however placing higher than the Murray’s would in the final standings.
After appropriately snaking past Seattle International Raceways, the route turned northward again towards Kent-Covington past Lake Meridian.  The first checkpoint was almost in Renton, just off of Petrovitsky Rd on “Old” Petrovitsky Rd.  This caught more than a few off guard, missing the turn and doubling back.  Gary’s route returned to the Covington area for the morning rest stop at a terrific Petrolania display.  An old gas station nicely provided a backdrop for the photos taken there.  You knew it was an “old” gas station because one gas price was below thirty cents a gallon. 

Paul Murray and Jeff Richardson get their tanks filled by the Easter Bunny

After tummies were full of treats, and coffee had jolted drivers with a new determination, navigators reminded the loitering drivers that there was still work to be done.  The route turned decidedly southward with the main objective to get to lunch.  Old “Sol” began to get brighter as the miles wore on.  Stripping off early morning layers of clothing became the norm.  Green Valley Rd along the Green River was a route highlight.  It is a winding road past horse farms and large homes.  It was quickly becoming a perfect morning.  Whitney Hill Rd offered beautiful vistas of Mt. Rainier.  Some took a few minutes out to snap some photos.  It was that gorgeous. 

Nolte State Park, east of Black Diamond, was the scene of the third/fourth checkpoint.  Many drivers and navigators missed seeing the checkpoint sign tucked in at the park entrance and continued to drive almost into Eastern Washington.  Disappointment shrouded many teams as they realized they might have missed checkpoint three.  Emotionally drained drivers and navigators figured to just finish the route at that point.  Gary had his checkpoint workers even play it up acting sad when they stamped checkpoint four.  Turns out that it was just a rue.

 

A major topic at lunch was whether there was a checkpoint three or not.  Lunch was served in the park at Mud Mountain Dam, just off of Highway 410.  A choice of sandwich meats, a “huge” cookie, chips, some fresh chopped veggies, and cold or hot refreshments filled appetites to the brim.  A few adjustments and fluid checks and one by one the cars departed for the second half.  Some would have possibly quit there to enjoy the sun and park.  Perhaps take a nap and relax too, but the call of the road made all that impossible. 

 

The afternoon route sped through small towns like Enumclaw, Buckley, Burnett, Wilkeson, South Prairie, Orting, and almost as far south as Eatonville.  At that point in the event, it seemed like the route would never end.  Almost like hitting the “wall” like how marathoners describe mile twenty in a twenty-six mile run.  Another pass through Orting on into Sumner and back up the West Valley Rd to Kent and the Hawthorne Inn for the finish line.  The pre-set finishing time was 3:44pm, but everyone was late.  So as the cars came into the finish line determined their placement.  The number ten spot with only 184 total points accumulated was car #1922 driven by Dr. Tim Cliney and navigated by Margaret Bird.  Tim and Margaret seem to always place in the top ten.  Ray Beale and a rookie navigator from the Kent area secured the #9 position in his Model A.  Ted and Jackie Alkier from Spokane finished #8 in car #429 and were narrowly nipped by car #229, also a Model A, driven by Tom Clark and navigated by wife Brenda also from Spokane.  Newlyweds Ford and Sonja Ostlund, from Edgewood, Washington, remained married due in part to a 6th place finish in Car #54.  They were also the highest placing rookies.  Fourth and fifth place went to the brothers Murray.  Wayne and Rae’cing Murray took numbaa 40 to fifth overall.  Paul and rookie navigator Jeff Richardson in car #94 started in 46th place and moved through the pack to finish 4th.
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